How Trump’s DEI executive orders could impact telecoms

• The Trump administration is trying to stamp out public and private DEI initiatives
• But industry experts told us DEI is integral to telecom programs and workforce recruitment
• Both broadband and wireless groups said a diverse workforce is key

The U.S. government’s efforts to scrub diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives from public and private sector programs could have a chilling effect on efforts to recruit tens of thousands of telecom workers to build out networks nationwide, experts told Fierce. 

Though the telecom sector also includes wireless networks, broadband builds could be among the hardest hit by the administration’s actions. Why? Well, as New Street Research’s Blair Levin explained, DEI is actually an integral part of the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. It’s right there in the name. 

“I fear it will have a number of negative impacts, including widening the digital literacy divide and hurting in workforce development, which is essential for the current fiber buildout surge,” Levin said. “In addition, the way the Administration is signaling changes with memos that are poorly written, then withdrawn, etc. is causing confusion and creating all kinds of wasted efforts.”

Federal efforts to slash DEI initiatives come as the broadband industry braces for a worker shortage ahead of BEAD rollouts. A study commissioned by the Fiber Broadband Association warned of an expected shortage of 28,000 workers on the construction side and 30,000 on the technician side between now and 2030. 

According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were about 418,000 people employed in the telecommunications sector (excluding wired carriers) in 2024. Among these workers, 30% were women and around 27% of the total were non-white. Nearly 15% of workers were black, 14% Hispanic and 9.5% Asian. 

The BLS’ category for wired telecommunications carriers counted 382,000 workers, with a similar gender and racial breakdown (though the percentage of Hispanic workers was notably higher at 19.2%).

And when it comes to worker recruitment, diversity has played a huge part in industry efforts in recent years.

A representative for the Communications Workers of America said the current administration appears to be angling for “a federal government that will no longer protect workers from illegal discipline or dismissal based on race, religion, disability or other protected classes.” If that happens, the rep added, unions and union contracts could be left to fill the gap by “providing due process, protecting workers from arbitrary firings and empowering workers to challenge unfair discipline or terminations.”

Maria Popo, president and CEO of cable group SCTE, said a diverse workforce strengthens the telecom sector because it brings a range of unique perspectives, problem-solving approaches and technical expertise. This is especially relevant as technology continues to evolve.

“While the broadband industry has traditionally been male dominated, we are seeing increasing participation from women and individuals from diverse backgrounds,” she said. Also, it’s worth noting Popo herself is the first woman to head SCTE.

SCTE is already striving to ensure the telecom industry is more welcoming for professionals “from all backgrounds and career stages.” Aside from technical tracks, SCTE offers members “communities of interest” like mentoring circles and technician guilds, said Popo.

“Our training programs are open to all individuals interested in broadband careers, and we actively collaborate with industry partners to ensure that opportunities are accessible to a wide range of candidates,” she said.

Diversity plays an equally prominent role on the wireless side of the industry.

Todd Schlekeway, CEO of the National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE), told Fierce he’s seen an increasing number of women entering the workforce and starting businesses in the sector. Additionally, he highlighted a growing need for the development of training programs and certification exams in the Spanish language to accommodate an influx of native speakers.

And Schlekeway doesn’t see diversity becoming any less important in the years ahead. He noted the wireless industry is working through a slowdown at the moment, causing some workers to leave the sector. Those employees may not come back even if the industry bounces back, meaning member company recruitment efforts in the coming years “will likely have to cast a wide net to new and diverse communities to onboard employees,” he said. 

One positive? Though several NATE members have women-owned, minority-owned, veteran-owned, or small business designations, Schlekeway doesn’t think this will impact their ability to secure federal grants.

Regardless of whether DEI programs are in the equation or not, both Schlekeway and WISPA Communications Director Mike Wendy said the most important consideration in hiring has always been “can this person do the job.” And that will remain true going forward.

“Diversity is indeed important, but it is not a central or overriding factor in hiring decisions,” Wendy said.

Asked whether he expects hiring practices to change over the coming years, Wendy said it’s already tough to find enough skilled workers in many of the areas WISPs operate, and it’s going to get even harder as deployment programs increase demand for crews.

“There’s going to be more pressure than ever to get workers over the next two-to-four years. So, WISPs will have to figure out new compensation or benefits packages to attract workers; innovate new pipelines of talent; employ apprenticeship or scholarship programs; develop bootcamp training or similar programs to skill the un- or under-skilled,” he concluded. “In short, WISPs recognize that they will have to more aggressively address labor in their business plans if they want to grow and serve their communities.”